Day 5: iQFoil Asian Championships and International Games set for medal series

The final day of the Opening Series at the iQFOiL Asian Championships and International Games brought another challenging yet thrilling round of racing. Competitors navigated light winds in the morning that became steadier in the afternoon, setting the stage for physical endurance and mental strength as they fought to secure their spots in tomorrow’s Medal Series.

The day began with the Senior Men and Women fleets completing one race in the morning under light winds of 6 to 9 knots. After a short break with AP over H, they returned to the water for more racing in the afternoon with more wind, up to 12 knots, only after the the U19 and U17 fleets completed their final races.

Provisional Top 3 Rankings After the Opening Series

Senior Women:

Jie DU (CHN 111)
Xianting HUANG (CHN 3)
Zheng YAN (CHN 37)

Senior Men:

Kun BI (CHN 1)
Ching Yin CHENG (HKG 21)
Zhen HUANG (CHN 577)

Ching Yin Cheng reflected on his performance:
"I had a bad day with two poor races, but I’m still in second place overall. I’m very excited about the Medal Series tomorrow."

U19 Women:

Wing Tung CHOY (HKG 34)
Ning SUN (CHN 679)
Angyal CHEW (SGP 711)

Wing Tung Choy shared her excitement:
"We had three races today, and I won two of them, which was amazing! It was quite light—around 6 to 9 knots—but I loved it and am looking forward to the Medal Series."

U17 Women:

Ching Suet YUEN (HKG 43)
Claire Tian Yu TSE (HKG 14)
Tsz Yuet CHEUNG (HKG 24)

Ching Suet Yuen shared her thoughts on the day:
"The day was pretty great for me, though unfortunately, I got a BFD. Still, I’m happy to be leading the Under 17 girls and look forward to the next races."

U17 Men:

Chun Kiu Curtis HO (HKG 12)
Shi JEIYU (CHN 632)
Chi Yeung FENG (HKG 18)

Chun Kiu Curtis Ho reflected on his performance:
"Today’s conditions were quite light, but I had a few fantastic starts and managed to stay in front of the fleet. I’m really happy with a first and second today!"

Medal Series Format

Tomorrow’s Medal Series will be an intense three-stage knockout races:

Quarterfinal: Sailors ranked 3rd to 10th from the Opening Series will compete in the first race, with the top 3 finishers advancing to the Semifinal.
Semifinal: The top 3 from the Quarterfinal will join the sailor ranked 2nd overall. The top 2 finishers from the Semifinal will advance to the Grand Final.
Grand Final: The top 2 from the Semifinal will face off against the sailor ranked 1st overall in a high-stakes final race to decide the champion.

This unique format promises thrilling head-to-head battles and ensures an unforgettable conclusion to the championships.